


Blue's Baby

by McKayRulez



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Accidental Baby Acquisition, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Baby Steven Universe, Chance Meetings, Diamond Authority - Freeform, Episode: s05e29-32 Change Your Mind, Gen, Parenthood, Steven Universe is Pink Diamond, The Human Zoo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-24
Updated: 2019-10-03
Packaged: 2020-11-02 13:16:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 5,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20759174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/McKayRulez/pseuds/McKayRulez
Summary: Blue Diamond finds an infant Steven and raises the baby as her own.





	1. Sweet Diamond Dreams are Made of This

Blue Diamond arrived often to Pink’s Planet. She’d mourn her and collect more genetically diverse humans for her zoo. Yellow Diamond had long since put the place behind her. Believing all it did was cause her more unnecessary pain. White was never interested in the zoo from the start. Blue, however, kept maintaining it. 

She had spent so much time studying the humans. Perfecting their diet in super fruits. Finding the perfect bliss point that made them love their sustenance. Gave them all the joy and comfort she could provide in such a place, and also made sure they wouldn’t harm their biologies with interbreeding. 

The concept of breeding and diversity had admittedly, taken a few left turns over the years. 

Organic procreation was something beyond a gem, so when subject’s grew in size over months, Blue questioned her food formulas, wondering where it all went wrong. Then babies emerged and Blue had been startled as to where they came from. That is until she had seen the birthing process on a video feed. It was all fascinating. 

No wonder Pink thought humans were so curious. 

The second issue that went wrong was, if left unchecked, biological problems began to arise. Birth defects and imperfections along a whole list of other problems. 

At that point, Blue vowed to never be so careless and let the poor creature’s infants suffer again. She took this as another part of her duties to them as their Diamond, and instilled “The Choosing”, which she carefully monitored to keep genetic diversity healthy and that’s when she began finding new humans for her zoo from all over Pink’s world. 

It was because of this that Blue Diamond showed up to Beach City one cold winter, as she searched the planet for a new subject. 

~

Blue peered over the ocean horizon. There was so much colour here. So much blue also. 

“My Diamond.” She looked down at her curtsying Pearl. “I found a native settlement.” 

Wild humans were so creative and engineering, she thought to herself. Each era she visited, the human’s habitats and toys got more elaborate. 

She didn’t know how to feel about that. On one hand, she was proud of Pink’s inhabitants, as if it was her achievement, even though her colony would have wiped them out.. Still though.. Pink had always stood up for the creatures. This just proved her instincts correct. Though on the other hand, it was just a sad reminder to her that this was a planet in which only their human kind could survive and thrive, while a being as powerful and resilient as a Diamond could not. It was a strange cruel irony. 

When she got closer to the settlement she extended a hand, summoning her scanner drones from her ship. They flew down from the giant blue arm ship’s palm, and began to explore the location, scanning each startled lifeform as they went. Searching for genetic difference percentages and any interesting anomalies that may improve future generations of zoomans. 

Blue sighed to herself as she waited, and gazed out upon Pink’s planet with appreciation. “You would have loved it here, Pink.” She said quietly to herself, with a single large tear running down her cheek. 

There was a beep and a flash as a drone came back. Blue looked down sharply at it in agitation for breaking her thoughts. She took a deep breath and lowered her head in her hood, reminding herself it was just a machine, doing what it was programed to do. It wasn’t some wayward sentient gem, knowing full well not to interrupt her when she was very upset. 

The drones wouldn’t have signalled her like that, unless some genetic variety was exceptionally large enough to garner her actual attention and intrigue. 

“What have you found?” 

The robinoid’s scanner face changed and flickered with results. 

Blue’s eyes scanned over it slowly until- 

Something inside her gem clenched, as she stared at it in disbelief. “This can’t-” She gaped. “This can’t be!?” 

“My Diamond?” The Pearl’s head tilted up to her concerned. 

“Take me to the subject.” She snapped at the drone. It blinked it’s screen, turned as it hovered, and led the way. 

~ 

Blue Diamond gently lifted the settlement’s roof. It took effort not to uproot the whole thing with her eagerness and vast strength, but she managed. 

Inside a sleeping wild haired primitive was snoring on a couch. Just ahead of him laid a sleeping baby in a pink onesie. It’s buttons on the baby's belly where undone in the shape of a Diamond. The surrounding empty space exposed a side turned Pink Diamond gemstone. 

“Pink!” She whispered in a still disbelieving gasp. 

Ever so carefully, she lowered her large hand into the house and gently scooped the tiny thing into her massive palm. She peered down at it with enraptured tears in her eyes. Her feelings swooned in a joy and relieve that she had never felt for six thousand years, if even before that. 

She carefully placed the palmed sleeping infant to her chest in love. 

“Let’s get you home!”


	2. Diamond Divination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Diamond's seek answers.

“Curious.” White peered down at the Pink Diamond between her fingernails. 

“Please!” Blue pleaded, as she lightly bounced the screaming and sobbing infant in her palm next to her chest. Everything had been fine until White pulled the gem away! The creature was clearly in agony and now Blue was in tears herself at poor Baby Pink’s misery. “Please, just give it back!” 

Yellow used her thumb to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes, caused by Blue's uncontrolled emotional aurora. “Calm yourself Blue! We’re just trying to figure out what happened.” 

The Diamond briefly reformed to Pink, then to everyone’s shock and horror Rose Quartz, then finally to the baby. 

“She was.. She was..” Yellow was staring into nothing, as numbness took over her thoughts at the revelation of her Rose Identity. She fell to her knees without ever realizing it. 

Blue, sympathetic, put her free hand on Yellow’s shoulder, but she herself was much too concerned for the writhing baby in her palm to even fully process this revelation without the simplest thought of, ‘At least she’s alive!’ 

White on the other hand took it in full stride, and smiled in a way that gaze Blue reason to fear. 

“Now, now. You had your fun starlight. You played your little games of hide and seek and warfare. It’s out of your system now. It’s time to come home now.” 

The pink baby diamond just cried and wiggled on it’s back violently. 

“Hush, now.” White admonished. “I know you lost the game to Blue, since she found you, but that’s no reason to throw a temper tantrum.” 

Still the baby just made it’s wails. After a few tense minutes of crying more, White snapped and pounded her free fist against the side wall. “Turn back into Pink! Stop acting like a child and accept that we have you back!” A flicker of colour perforated her once perfect Whiteness. 

Blue froze at her outburst. Then a moment more and a swirl of emotions welled up inside her. She was scared and afraid that White was clearly doing something wrong to her. Hurting her. Violating her in away that made Blue furious. Anger and protective instinct overcame her, as she glared angrily at White. 

“Give her her Diamond back!” She leered furious, and stepped closer determined. “Can’t you see your hurting her!” She screamed. 

Yellow stopped staring at nothing, and snapped her head towards Blue’s direction in shocked fear. No one had ever spoke to White in such a way. Fear suddenly sat very heavy upon her, as she worried for Blue's fate. Would she be brainwashed or shattered? Hopefully forgiven just this once? 

A part of Blue seemed to realize her overstep in boundaries and straightened her back, but her face stayed in righteous anger, and she wouldn’t back down. “Stop your own temper tantrum before you crack her or worse! Before you drive her away again!” 

White stared at her with wide, spooked eyes. She had never been in such a situation, let alone scolded before. Not even once in her very long life. Pink colour of embarrassment at her loss of control pierced her cheeks and Yellow gasped registering it this time. She looked away, but Blue did not. 

The wail of the baby echoed through the hall, as the two Diamonds stared each other down. Blue extended her empty hand, still keeping the baby close to her chest and away from White. 

“Give it.” She ordered. 

White slowly reached over and dropped the pink baby form into outstretched palm and Blue brought it to the baby. 

The three diamonds crowded over Blue’s hand as the two twin babies snuggled each other until suddenly they were one. 

White stared for a moment, then looked away as a numb dread and refreshed mourning spread over her. Pink was really gone.. And turned into.. Whatever this thing was.

“Oh my Stars.” Yellow breathed. 

Blue just smiled with happy tears, as the baby settled back down, no longer in pain.


	3. Food for Thought

“What has Starlight gotten herself into?” White pondered, as the initial shock faded. 

Blue looked down at the baby and suddenly a wave of mortification swept over her. 

“What is it Blue?” Yellow asked, as she could feel a shift in mood resonating off her. 

“Do you remember..” Blue opened and closed her mouth numbly. Unsure she even wanted to bring up the vile thought but it made the most sense. 

“What?” She asked impatiently. 

“Do you remember Pink’s.. Experiments with fusion?” 

Yellow made a face of revulsion, and Blue sympathized. 

The thought of Pink’s fused gem shard toys on her colony was very disturbing… Of course we expanded upon it with the cluster so it wasn’t too ‘disturbing’ it seems.. 

“You think she.. Experimented on.. Fusing herself with a human?” Yellow asked in disbelief. 

They all three looked down at the hybrid. Well that answer was staring them in the face. 

“It would explain the gem not identifying or remembering who she was.” White added. “Those.. Things seem to be a bit.. Muddled..” 

“Hmmm..”

The baby drooled and Yellow looked weirded out. “What is she doing?” 

“It’s just something babies do.” Blue responded unphased. All the zooman babies did that. She gave the babies head a little gentle pet with her pinky. “Nothing to worry about.” 

Yellow peered closer now that that baby was cooing. Blue smiled as Yellow’s tense stance softened a bit.

“So.. If she’s not pink- pink.. And just a half of pink.. What do we call her?” Blue asked. 

“That’s a ridiculous question. She’s a Pink Diamond regardless.” White answered. 

The room grew quiet as that sunk in. 

Pink had been gone for thousands of years.. 

They had come to accept that. Slowly in their own ways.. 

But now… 

A replacement? 

Nothing could ever ‘replace’ Pink of course.. But.. 

This situation was certainly unexpected… 

…. 

Suddenly, the baby was crying again. 

“Why is it doing that?!” White suddenly panicked. “I gave the gem back!” 

Yellow peered closer down at it. “But.. It’s on it's bottom facet?..” 

This freaked White out more. “OH STARS!? Did it fuse back in the wrong way!? Should I.. right it? Will that make it stop?! ” 

“Maybe it’s hungry?” Blue offered as an idea. 

“Hungry?” Yellow and White looked to each other confused. 

“The organic Zoomans need to eat. Their babies get cranky too.” 

“Blue, you take care of it.” Yellow decided. 

“Show us and her this food.” White demanded with a handwave. 

~~

They watched the Baby Pink eat enthralled. 

“Where does it go?” White wondered out loud. 

“Will it get bigger?” Yellow gingerly poked it’s chubby baby belly. 

“Organics grow very slowly.” Blue smiled, feeling happy with all the diamonds again, for the first time in a long while.


	4. Wake Up Call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back on Earth, the morning isn't exactly a good one.

Greg hadn’t gotten much sleep in awhile. Taking care of a newborn by himself was difficult, and he wasn’t sure what he was doing half the time, with him being so exhausted.

He slept when the baby slept, and the baby didn’t sleep all that often. He didn’t know if it was a gem hybrid thing or what… Okay, maybe he was just making excuses for normal baby behaviour? It’s not like he had much experience apart from babysitting Sour Cream, and back then he was younger and full of energy himself to have hardly noticed or cared. 

Besides, that was different. That was Babysitting. 

Not full time single parent mode. 

He had no idea how Vidalia managed to pull it off so well, but thanks to her at least they had a roof over their head. He couldn’t even get that part right. 

By the time he woke up, it was because of a small, loose, piece of Vidalia’s ceiling, that had finally been overtaken by gravity and had hit him in the face. 

~~ 

The crystal gems had been patiently waiting outside in the snow to visit Steven/Rose. 

When they arrived they stared up at Vidalia’s haphazardly placed roof. 

“That’s a bad roof job.” Garnet commented nonchalant and messed with her visor. 

“Woah.” Amethyst whistled and flopped onto her back and into the snow.. “Vidalia’s gonna be pissed.”

Pearl was picking up and throwing away pieces of broken tile. “Greg really had let this place go. Look at these things. They’re so sharp. Steven could hurt himself on these.” 

Suddenly, they heard a yell from Greg and instantly the gems burst in, breaking down the door with Garnet’s fists. They peered inside to see him freaking out. 

“He’s gone! I looked everywhere for him!” And he really had. He even checked the bread box just in case he mistook him for bread…. again...

“He’s what!?” Pearl panicked. 

Garnet was the stoic one, but even she was slightly tensed. “Greg, calm down. Tell us exactly what happened.” 

“I just put Steven to sleep-” He looked at the clock and his eyes shot open at how many hours he had been asleep. “Holy toledo! Nine hours ago!” He looked at the gems and around the home’s wreckage. “And when I woke up he was gone and the house was like this!” 

“I knew we shouldn’t have left Steven with Greg!” Pearl hissed, glaring at him as the gems turned towards the way they came, a hole in the wall where the door used to be, ready to start a search. 

He winced and started to run after them as they trailed into the snow towards his van. “Where are you going?!” 

“To look for Steven.” Garnet responded. 

“Do you have any ideas what happened?! Where he could be?!” 

Garnet and Pearl glanced at the finger indents in the roof and outside walls, then looked at each other warily. The purple fusion looked back at him. “Stay here.” 

“What!? No! I’m going with you!” 

“You can’t help us. This is gem business.” 

“I can and this business involves my son!” 

There was a side glare from Pearl and resentment from Amethyst. 

“Just stay here. In case Steven comes back.” Pearl insisted and turned, then she and Garnet went into the van. 

“Comes back!?” He stated incredulously. “He’s a newborn! He can’t even crawl yet!” 

“Sorry.” Amethyst replied simply with a side glance over her shoulder. “You’d only get in the way.” 

Greg signed reluctant, and ran a hand over his hair. He knew he was out of his depth with gem things, but this was his kid! “I guess.. I could call the police?” 

“See.. There ya go. You’re helping already in your own human way.” 

He watched them leave and despair hit his chest, as the eerily quiet house without Steven sunk in. 

~~ 

“Why would the diamonds come here?! Why now?!” Pearl paced anxiously outside the van, arms crossed, head downcast in full blown panic mode. “And how did they find Ro- Steven!?” 

“All good questions that we don’t have any answers for.” Garnet stated, as she leaned against the van and stared up into the sky. 

Amethyst jumped on a boulder. “Yo! How are we gonna get to space?” 

Pearl stopped like a deer in headlights. “How are..” She turned to Garnet freaking out and trembling. “How are we gonna get to space!? The warp pad isn’t connected to Homeworld! Garnet! What should we do?!” 

“A spaceship.” She answered simply. 

...

It wasn’t that simple.. 

~~

Pearl had constructed one from parts collected from Amethyst's room and it quickly crashed and burned, before it had even left the atmosphere...


	5. A Pink Paperweight

White’s diamond line was buzzing. White, (previously Pink’s) Pearl answered, “This is the White Diamond line, what is the meaning of your call?” 

“Tell White to get over here! Pink is moving!” 

White, way above her Pearl, widened her eyes, hearing the news. “She’s what!?” White picked up the line. “I’ll be right over!” 

~~

For several months now, little Pink hadn’t moved much. Sure the baby could move her arms and legs, but the littlest monarch didn’t walk or do any meaningful gestures. 

The other Diamonds had come to the conclusion that Pink’s experiment had inadvertently resulted in her gem misaligned with the organic body, causing the hybrid’s components and limbs to not work properly. Similarly, turning her into a gem object like cracked gems often became. 

Or basically, a glorified sentient stone heavy, (or in human terms a ‘paperweight’). 

~~

White and Yellow peered over the baby. 

“She isn’t doing anything.” 

“No, I swear she was just doing it.” Yellow leaned closer. “Come on, Pink.” She side glanced between the two Diamonds, feeling awkwardly embarrassed. “White is here now. Show her what you showed me.” 

The baby cooed, extending their hands towards yellow’s face curious and touching her nose, giggling and drooling. 

Yellow sighed and backed off from the touch and returned to White’s side. “She was moving on all fours, like some sort of lesser lifeform.” She explained. 

White looked curious, but with the way she was peering at them both, Yellow wasn’t too sure if that was due to Pink’s progress, or possibly wondering of Yellow’s gem health, or her concern for both of them equally. Yellow crossed her arms defensively, regardless, of who was on her mind. 

It was true, she had a busy schedule. Overseeing new colonies, and the military was already a lot to deal with and keep track of, but to add on top of that, watching over Pink at random times when Blue was busy, made her tight schedule a chaotic mess. 

However, that didn’t mean her gem was cracking under the pressure. 

Suddenly, Pink made a noise and White watched stunned as Pink started crawling. 

“She.. She really is..” She clapped, smiling. “Oh Pink, this is wonderful!”

So you’re not defective after all… 

That last thought wasn’t said out loud, but it was a huge weight off her mind stone. 

“Now, try to use just your legs.” She encouraged. Pink didn’t register understanding her words, just crawled to her and tugged on her white tunic cooing. 

“Oh, you need my help? Certainly, Starlight.” White used her gem powers to levitate Pink just slightly off the ground, the way she hovered Pink’s old Pearl. 

Pink squealed, making strange baby noises, as the infant flailed about mid air. 

White turned Pink so her legs were hanging toward the ground and lightly lowered her enough so her feet were touching the floor. 

Pink started at her toes and played with her feet on the ground, when White let go, Pink immediately flopped back onto her bottom and started crying. 

“Oh! I’m sorry, Starlight!” White quickly scooped up the screaming infant and lightly bounced her. She gazed over the tiny one in her palm concerned that she may have damaged such a tiny thing. When she detected no gem damage, she then looked to her fellow Diamond warily. “I thought she’d remember how to stand…” She explained. 

Yellow looked at a loss as well. “Well, it’s progress at least..”


	6. My Diamond

“My Diamond.” 

“My Diamond.”

“My Diamond.”

One by one, gems kept greeting the newly returned Pink monarch, as the Diamond’s held a ball in Pink’s honour for her return. 

Pink sat in her throne in White Pearl’s lap to make sure the baby didn’t fall off and hurt herself. 

Blue wanted Pink safely in her lap, but White had made it clear Pink needed to be seen in her own throne, before her court, and on her own to be accepted as perfect as she should be. 

Blue gave White a slight annoyed look up above her, but quickly looked away, just as White turned to look down at her. 

Blue also noticed Pink’s disinterest in the whole thing. 

At first the colourful gem sights made PInk squeal with delight and make all sorts of noises, but as the introductions droned on and on, she had begun to instead stare at the new shoes and outfit the pebbles had sown for her.

She wiggled her toes, and seemed frustrated she couldn’t see them. Toes where Pink’s new favorite part currently. She brought her foot to her mouth and started gnawing on the edge. 

“Yellow, dear.” Blue whispered. “Where is Pink’s teething crystal?” 

“She almost broke her new tooth on that!” Yellow hissed back. “And I don’t think she knows how to shift herself some new ones yet.. Given how you said, ‘we have to wait for them to ‘come in’ in the first place’.” Yellow lowered her head, peering down at the baby. “Also, when is her neck coming in? It’s so.. Unnatural..” 

Blue didn’t have an answer for that one. 

White Pearl dabbed Pink’s drool away with the edge of her sleeve. “A Diamond must look their best, Pink.” She shifted her in her lap, causing her foot to escape her mouth and Pink to babble incoherently, as she reached for the foot once more. Instead, Pearl quickly pointed out the next group of visitors, trying to distract her. “Look Pink Diamond! Here’s more of your court!” 

A Jasper approached looking mystified and confused. She pushed the awe away from her face as soon as she neared, and tried to look stoic and perfect like she knew she was. 

She made the diamond hand symbol and got down on one knee, bowing lowly. “My Diamond.”

Baby Pink made a noise and when the Jasper stated to stand up, the baby patted the top of her head, transfixed on the long mane. Then closed her tiny fist, grabbing her hair fascinated. 

The Jasper nearly swooned and died at the affection of ‘Her Diamond’. 

It took awhile for Pearl to get Pink to let go, and by then an Aquamarine had to use her ribbon wand to move the motionless stunned Jasper out of the way for the next gem. 

Eventually, baby Pink’s babbling became more coherent as the proceedings dragged on. 

“My, my.” 

The other Diamond’s gasped astonished. 

“Her first word!” Blue praised, overjoyed, and reached over, grabbing the baby from Pearl's lap and cuddling her.

White Diamond was the first to recover and resume her usual perfect composure. “Yes, that’s right Pink.. These are your subjects.” 

Pink giggled and squealed, squirming her little limbs, as Blue tickled her round belly. 

“My! My! My!”


	7. Those Left Behind

A rocket sped across the horizon. 

“This is the one. It has to be the one.” He said as he watched the beautiful thing fly against the evening sky, through his binoculars. Excitement lifting his heart. 

All too soon, flames licked its side panels, and smoke poured out of its exhaust. 

BANG. 

A wave emitted from the explosion, which rocked the barn and van. 

Greg yelled, and rushed forward, to meet the rain of debris. 

“Pearl!” He yelled as he approached the cockpit, that had plummeted back to the ground like a rock. 

He watched a slim pale hand push aside the metal panel and the space suited Pearl emerged, ignoring his gaze. 

“Are you okay!?” 

She turned back to the ship, shaking in frustration, and threw the pilot helmet Andy had given her (to protect her gem), at the heap of searing metal. It ricocheted off the side with a loud thud. 

“What happened this time?!” Greg continued his frantic questions. 

She squared her shoulders, fists clenched tight, as she turned back to him, shot him a glare, and then stomped across the open fields to the warp pad. 

Behind him, his cousin Andy followed with an extinguisher, and began spraying down the burning and smoldering pieces. 

Garnet stood beside him, watching Pearl warp away. “She’s trying her best. There’s only so much she can do with antique human technology..” 

“I know she is, but I wish ‘I’ could do more!” He looked to Andy frantic. “Isn’t there any more friends you can call!?” 

“I’ve called everyone I could think of..” He paused, melting under the depressed gaze of his cousin. “But I’ll try again.. Maybe the first people I asked have acquired more spares by now..” 

Greg sighed, noting how his grim expression, betrayed his upbeat suggestion. “Thanks, Andy.” 

~~

The group wandered back to the barn, with armfulls of wreckage to sort through of usable parts and unusable pieces to be melted down. 

Andy was in charge of sorting, since he actually knew what he was doing, with Amethyst as his assistant. Placing parts in whichever box he deemed. Greg wished he could do more besides carry things to them. 

It didn’t help Amethyst usually refused to speak to him these days, unless she was angry enough, and those few times he caught her glances at him and Garnet, where glares worthy to kill. 

A couple hours later, Greg sighed, when he delivered the last pieces he could find in the growing darkness outside. He went over to Garnet who was peering through boxes of old DeMayo family album pictures. 

“Is any of that stuff helping?” He asked. “Are you getting visions of Steven?” 

“I don’t know what it is…” Her tone was low and desperate, as she picked up an old picture frame. “I can’t find the missing piece.” Her hand clenched around a photo, making the glass break in her grip. 

Greg reached out and put a hand on hers as his used his other hand to gently take the broken frame away from her. “I know you’re trying.” We’re all trying… “It’ll come to you.. I know it will.” 

Garnet spoke through gritted teeth. “You don’t understand, Greg. I’ve always seen all possible futures. I always know what can happen.. But I didn’t see this..” 

She turned to Greg, tears running down her visor. “I didn’t see him taken and now I can’t see him at all! I don’t know what it is! What factor of Steven I’m missing.. This is my one job and I.. I’m useless..” 

Greg pulled her into a hug, feeling his own desperation and depression overwhelming him. 

There was a loud clang of metal across the room and Greg looked up from Garnet’s shoulder in tears, to see Amethyst glaring at him. 

The guy who took her friend away and was stealing another.

“You want to know what I think?” She hissed. 

“Amethyst.. Don’t..” Andy warned, beside her, seeing the rage building, but she ignored him. 

“I think she doesn’t see anything, because little Rose was shattered.” She snapped. 

Greg closed his eyes tightly, his body shaking, and suddenly finding it hard to breath. “Cut it out, Amethyst.” 

She raised her hands to her sides. “It makes sense right?! Besides.. I might not know much about gems or Homeworld or the war.. But I know enough that they got the leader of the crystal gems! What do you think they’d do to her?!” 

“Amethyst please, you’re upsetting Greg.” Garnet said sternly. 

“Oh, am I? Well, what about me, huh? How about how all of this stuff is making me upset to!?” She turned away, snatching the keys off the rack beside the door. She looked back at them. “You’re all living in denial!” She yelled and slammed the door behind her.


	8. What She Wanted

“Pearl!” The purple gem gazed up at the floating rocks, cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted again, “Pearl!” 

“Not now, Amethyst.” Pearl brooded, as she hugged her knees. 

The small gem wouldn’t be left alone. Not now when she didn’t have many friends left. She launched herself up and landed on a floating rock, nearly losing her balance in the process. “Woah!” 

Pearl refused to look in the other gems direction, as she heard her footsteps on the grass behind her. 

When the gem sat beside her, she wiped away her tears with her arm, not wanting Amethyst to see her like this. 

“Hey..” Amethyst bumped her shoulder. 

“I don’t want to talk right now...” 

The purple gem followed her eyes to the stars above them. “That’s okay. You don’t have to.” 

The silence stretched before them, as they gazed into the night sky. 

After a long quiet moment, she finally spoke up, “I should have..” She lowered her head and sighed. “Never mind.” 

Amethyst looked at her. “Should have what?” 

“Should have convinced her not to-” Pearl stopped again, and struggled to figure out what she was trying to say and waved her hands in thought. It wasn’t like she didn’t want Steven.. Or didn’t want Rose happy.. But at what cost was it all worth?.. Her thoughts were a mess right now. She wasn’t sure about anything anymore. “I should have.. The baby.. It was so crazy and-” 

Amethyst laid a hand on her shoulder, giving her a sympathetic look. 

Pearl turned her head away. “It should have been me.” 

The purple gem pulled back confused. “You didn’t want a baby.” 

She looked back at her in earnest. “But she did! She wanted this so badly and I.. I could have given that to her! She would still be alive and Steven would be here, safe with her, and they would be so happy, and-” 

“You don’t know that!” 

“No.. I don’t.. But I know she wouldn’t have let that baby out of her sight for a second!.. Unlike..” Her eyes drifted away in shame. “Unlike us.. Unlike..” A glare suddenly flickered over her features. ‘Him.’” She spat out the last word disgusted. 

Even if Amethyst was furious at him right now.. She reluctantly knew Rose liked him.. And she Knew how much he liked little Rose. “Greg didn’t mean-” 

“Don’t tell me what Greg’s intentions were!” Pearl snapped, cutting her off. Then noticed her outburst and took a deep breath. “What matters now is... Where do we go from here?..” 

Amethyst lowered her head sadly. 

“We’ve tried everything..” Pearl continued, her eyes once again distant to the stars above. 

“Maybe we need a break?” 

“What? No! We can’t!” 

“Isn’t that what you where doing now?” 

Pearl flushed. “I just.. I got overwhelmed is all..” 

Her friend brushed that off and showed her a pair of keys. “I swiped the keys to Gregs storage unit!” 

Pearl frowned. “So?” She didn’t want ANYTHING to do with that man ever again. 

“I just so happen to know it holds all the seasons to Little Butler!” 

Pearl gave her a confused look. 

“It was Rose’s favourite show!” 

“And?” 

She looked slightly lost, reminiscing in past thoughts. “We used to hang out all the time together, watching it…” Suddenly, her smile was replaced with a frown and a sad look in her eyes.” I.. I miss those days, ya know?” She sighed and stood up. She looked to Pearl desperate. “Don’t you want to see something she liked?” She offered her a hand to stand and a slight smile. 

“I.. I don’t know..” Pearl looked conflicted. “I’d love too, Amethyst..”

The purple gem looked hopeful and Pearl felt terrible. 

She really would enjoy it.. She adored everything Rose liked. 

“However, I.. I really should get back and start rebuilding...” 

No matter how much she dreaded stepping foot back into the barn, incase ‘he’ was there, she needed to feel like she was being helpful.. Like she wasn’t useless.. Like she felt she was.. 

“Come on!” Amethyst glared and closed her fists. “You know it’s pointless! That old junk is never going to work!” 

Pearl sputtered at at her outburst. 

“Why is everyone wasting their time?! It’s been two years, and everyone’s gotten nowhere!” 

“Amethyst why are you acting like this?” 

“I lost my best friend! Then lost her again! Now I’m losing everyone!” 

“You’re not losing us.” 

“Oh really? I barely see you or Garnet. Garnet is always with Greg, trying to see something that’s not there! And you’re always working on your stupid space ships!” 

Tears were streaming down her face now. “And what do I get stuck with? Corrupted gem duty by myself! And when I come home, guess what!? I’m still all alone! Because you’re out here in the barn and Garnet is living in Greg’s van!” 

She was shaking. “Everyone left me! No one ever has time for me!” 

“I.. I had no idea that you felt this way.” Pearl responded shocked. 

“Of course you didn’t! Because it’s me and you don’t care about me!” She clenched her fists, “I bet you’d come if it were her!” 

“That’s not tr-” Pearl was cut off, as she stared wide eyed at Amethyst, who shifted into Rose. She shook getting flashbacks. 

She extended a hand to Pearl. “Come on.” 

“I..” Pearl hesitated, her hand extended slightly in alarm, then stopped. Amethyst reached the rest of the way and took it forcefully. 

“Let’s go watch Little Butler.” Her eyes slid over to Pearl’s in silent challenge. 

Pearl’s knees buckled underneath her, as she was pulled to a stand. 

“You know what they say…” Amethyst says quietly as they jumped off the rocks, hand in hand, landing gracefully to the bottom. 

Pearl’s voice shook as she answered. 

“Rose always got what she wanted.”


End file.
